Tag Archives: Backbreaker

Backbreaker Pentathlon

By Bill Clark

MEET –

BACKBREAKER PENTATHLON

Three legends of Clark's Gym gather for the Backbreaker (left to right): Steve Schmidt, Bill Clark, and John Carter

Three legends of Clark’s Gym gather for the Backbreaker (left to right): Steve Schmidt, Bill Clark, and John Carter (caption by webmaster)

John Carter was an easy winner, his second title in a month, capturing the best lifter award in Steve’s Back breaker Pentathlon held at Clark’s Gym in Columbia, Mo.

The field was limited to only three lifters due to the corona virus and restricted movement. What had been planned as a warm-up for the USAWA National Heavy Lift Championships in May, wound up being a friendly day in the gym and plenty of time to visit with Steve Schmidt, the USAWA Hall of Famer for whom the meet is named.

Steve served as the head meet official and passed along a few coaching hints as well – much to everyone’s gratitude. It was much like the days of old at Clark’s place – only the size of the crowd was different.

Amorkor Ollennuking continued her comeback from lymph node cancer treatment by performing what everyone consider the best life of the day. During the record session, the 57-year-old Kansas Citian did a little fingers deadlift with 125 pounds, breaking the long-standing mark of Mary McConnaughey. It is the highest little fingers deadlift by a female regardless of weight or age, in the USAWA record book.

Dave DeForest pushing up a big Harness Lift!

Dave DeForest pushing up a big Harness Lift!

The busiest lifter of the day was 60-year-old Dave DeForest, who, like Carter, has revived a lifting career dormant for more than a decade. He set records in the harness, hip and hand-and thigh, then added five more during a record session.

Carter, too, set three records – hip, harness and back lifts.

Clark’s has put the outside competition on hold because of the corona virus, but will lift in the USAWA quarterly postal competition.

The results:

2020 Backbreaker Pentathlon
March 21st, 2020
Clark’s Gym
Columbia, MO

Meet Director: Bill Clark

Scorekeeper: Bill Clark

Officials (1-official system used): Bill Clark, Steve Schmidt

Photographer: Gene Baumann

LIFTERS:

Amorkor Ollennuking, 57, Female, Kansas City, Mo. Bwt. 76.9 kilos (169.5 lbs). Coefficient – .9896. Age differential – 1.18.

John Carter, 61, Male,Harrisburg, Mo.  Bwt – 98.9 kilos (218 lbs.) Coeff. – .8522. Age diff. – 1.22.
Dave DeForest, 60, Male, Fulton, Mo.   Bwt – 89.4 kilos (197 lbs.)  Coeff. – .9060.  Age diff. 1.21.

BACK LIFT
Ollennuking – 900
Carter – 1500
DeForest – 800

NECK LIFT
Ollennuking – 200
Carter – 225
DeForest – 250

HAND AND THIGH
Ollennuking – 705
Carter – 900
DeForest – 705

HIP LIFT
Ollennuking – 765
Carter – 1670
DeForest – 1125

HARNESS LIFT
Ollennuking – 1075
Carter – 2105
DeForest – 1305

TOTALS
Ollennuking – 3,645 lbs.
Carter – 6,400 lbs.
DeForest – 4,185 lbs.

BODYWEIGHT ADJUSTMENT
Ollennuking – 3,588.87
Carter – 5,594.08
DeForest – 3,791.61

AGE ADJUSTMENT – FINAL SCORE
Ollennuking – 4,234.86
Carter – 6,657.98
DeForest – 4,582.85

SUCCESSFUL FOURTH ATTEMPTS
DeForest – Hand-and-thigh – 805; Hip lift – 1,225.

RECORD DAY
Ollennuking – Little fingers deadlift – 125.
DeForest – Snatch on knees – 80; strict curl – 80; right hand one-inch vertical bar deadlift – 182; left hand one-inch vertical bar deadlift – 182; two-hand 1-inch vertical bars deadlift – 314

Backbreaker Pentathlon

By Al Myers

MEET ANNOUNCEMENT

Steve Schmidt’s Backbreaker Pentathlon

Meet Director: Bill Clark

Date: Saturday, March 21st, 2020

Venue: Clark’s Gym, Columbia, Missouri

Weigh-ins: 8- 9:30 AM

Lifting: 10 AM

Entry Fee: None

Entry Form: None

Awards: None

Membership: Must be a current USAWA Member (Available at meet)

Lifts: Neck Lift, Hand and Thigh Lift, Back Lift, Hip Lift, Harness Lift

A Record Day will follow the meet. Lifters may perform records in up to 5 lifts maximum.

To enter, a confirmation must be sent to Bill Clark by the Tuesday preceding the meet. Bill can be reached by phone: 573-474-4510, Fax: 573-474-1449, or mail: Bill Clark, 3906 Grace Ellen Drive, Columbia, Missouri, 65202

The One and Only Steve Schmidt

There is only one SUPER HEAVY LIFT LIFTER:

THE ONE and ONLY STEVE SCHMIDT

by Dale E. Friesz

Steve Schmidt set many Back Lift records using his custom-built Back Lift Apparatus.

What follows is a history of the male and female winners of what has progressed, in name only, from the STRONGMAN PENTATHLON, to the SCHMIDT’S PENTATHLON, to the SCHMIDT’S BACKBREAKER PENTATHLON, to the USAWA NATIONAL HEAVY LIFT CHAMPIONSHIPS, to the STEVE SCHMIDT’S BACKBREAKER, and to the USAWA HEAVY LIFT CHAMPIONSHIPS.  The data source is our former organization’s newsletter written by Bill Clark, the STRENGTH JOURNAL.  I believe it is safe to assume that Bill Clark was involved in the meet name changes.  The same five lifts have been contested since the first meet on 11/25-1986 – the lifts are the NECK LIFT, the HAND & THIGH, the HIP LIFT, the HARNESS LIFT, and the BACKLIFT.  It seems that Steve Schmidt, together with Bill Clark, conceived of the meet as it contains the four chain lifts and the biggest lift of all the USAWA – the BACKLIFT.  Steve has competed in 14 of these meets since the first in 1986 in his yard and barn in Sullivan, Missouri. He is UNDEFEATED!  The small table that follows shows how Steve has managed to cheat father time:

TOTAL YEAR LOCATION BWT AGE
10377 1991 Sullivan 220 36
10231 1988 Sullivan 223 33
10219 1992 Sullivan 209 37
10200 1987 Sullivan 218 32
10037 1989 Sullivan 220 34
9647 1990 Sullivan 219 35
9645 2004 Columbia 220 49
9415 2008 Columbia 224 53
9345 2007 Columbia 224 52
9330 1986 Sullivan 224 31
9315 2005 Columbia 218 50
9305 2003 Columbia 208 48
9160 2006 Columbia 223 51
9055 2002 Columbia 209 47

I have enjoyed the recent forum discussions that Steve’s apparatus and large diameter heavy bar made it possible for him to lift such “unreal” poundages. Also, as he aged he was not able to lift as much weight.  I point out that no one has been able to beat him regardless of the equipment used.  Also, that after nearly a quarter century of training he cracked the 3000 pound backlift ceiling twice in one meet, maxing at 3050 pounds.  Big Al was very much present when it was done as it took place in his gym, using his state of the art backlift equipment.